SouthPark Mall

[TheOneRJ]

5 hours ago, nakers2 said:

If you know where to look you can tell, and the underground deck is a good upskirt shot of the malls age. 

I wouldn’t consider a parking deck the mall, though. I don’t think majority of people expect parking decks to be cosmetically nice to look at. SouthPark has all of the higher end and modern finishes you can find at any newer mall in the country. 

[nakers2]

13 hours ago, TheOneRJ said:

I wouldn’t consider a parking deck the mall, though. I don’t think majority of people expect parking decks to be cosmetically nice to look at. SouthPark has all of the higher end and modern finishes you can find at any newer mall in the country. 

I don't disagree, I guess what I'm getting at is that to a first timer, the parking deck looks a but dank, and the missing ceiling tiles are not a good look. But more to the point of an engineering/design standpoint, the "guts" of the mall, IE what's holding it up, provide a glimpse into the aging heart of the beast. I don't think the mall itself should ever be torn down unless something substantially better will replace it, but instead I'm more curious as to when the mall will be more or less gutted for true modernization. Right now anyone with a degree of insight can see the layers upon layers of facelifts and touchups the mall has seen though the decades. The mall looks the same as the first time I went, and not that far off from when my mother worked nearby in the 80's.

[TheOneRJ]

2 hours ago, nakers2 said:

I don't disagree, I guess what I'm getting at is that to a first timer, the parking deck looks a but dank, and the missing ceiling tiles are not a good look. But more to the point of an engineering/design standpoint, the "guts" of the mall, IE what's holding it up, provide a glimpse into the aging heart of the beast. I don't think the mall itself should ever be torn down unless something substantially better will replace it, but instead I'm more curious as to when the mall will be more or less gutted for true modernization. Right now anyone with a degree of insight can see the layers upon layers of facelifts and touchups the mall has seen though the decades. The mall looks the same as the first time I went, and not that far off from when my mother worked nearby in the 80's.

Agree to disagree, I guess. 

[nakers2]

I guess since I bumped this thread I'd front this other question: do you think it would hurt Southpark if they charged a small fee for parking? Obviously you can pay already for valet/premium parking out front, but having dealt with about 15 mins of searching, only to get lucky and find a decent spot on Sunday, I wonder if this could at least be an effective way to encourage carpooling to the mall. Perhaps offer, since it's a mall, up to 4 hours free with validation. 

Personally I think there would definitely be resistance to this idea, and might result in a temporary slump in activity, however with a combination of people actually buying stuff to get validated, even if it's a small item, and parking revenue, not to mention an overall reduction in the number of cars coming to the mall, resulting in no need for future deck expansion, the long term benefits would outweigh the short term controversy. 

[CLT2014]

40 minutes ago, nakers2 said:

I guess since I bumped this thread I'd front this other question: do you think it would hurt Southpark if they charged a small fee for parking? Obviously you can pay already for valet/premium parking out front, but having dealt with about 15 mins of searching, only to get lucky and find a decent spot on Sunday, I wonder if this could at least be an effective way to encourage carpooling to the mall. Perhaps offer, since it's a mall, up to 4 hours free with validation. 

Personally I think there would definitely be resistance to this idea, and might result in a temporary slump in activity, however with a combination of people actually buying stuff to get validated, even if it's a small item, and parking revenue, not to mention an overall reduction in the number of cars coming to the mall, resulting in no need for future deck expansion, the long term benefits would outweigh the short term controversy. 

98% of the year there is an over-abundance of parking at SouthPark. It would probably make more sense to offer a shuttle from a remote parking lot the 8 days a year the lots get above 90% capacity. 

[InSouthPark]

If you ever go to the mall and cant find parking, hit one of the MANY completely empty parking decks that surround the mall across Carnegie, Morrison, etc.  God forbid people walk 5 minutes across the street so they can walk for two hours in the mall.  There are around 2000 spots in Capital Towers and Village Tavern decks and crossing Barclay Downs is easy.

[Temeteron]

12 minutes ago, InSouthPark said:

If you ever go to the mall and cant find parking, hit one of the MANY completely empty parking decks that surround the mall across Carnegie, Morrison, etc.  God forbid people walk 5 minutes across the street so they can walk for two hours in the mall.  There are around 2000 spots in Capital Towers and Village Tavern decks and crossing Barclay Downs is easy.

Totally agree! It’s crazy how people think 

[nakers2]

1 hour ago, CLT2014 said:

98% of the year there is an over-abundance of parking at SouthPark. It would probably make more sense to offer a shuttle from a remote parking lot the 8 days a year the lots get above 90% capacity. 

Well I was going to suggest alternatively that the mall could offer free parking on most days, but during high capacity days, IE Saturdays, especially during particularly hot or cold days, or when it raining, they could charge a nominal fee, maybe 2-3 bucks an hour with validation if you spend at least a predetermined amount. This would satisfy folks like myself who frequent the Tinder Box or just go to eat at the Food Court, but also capitalize on browsers who are just wasting space, not to mention (I promise I'm not some paranoid suburbanite) but it might even reduce the risk of crime which occasionally happens in some of the darker areas of the deck. 

[Nyckofi]

On 11/3/2019 at 10:38 PM, Temeteron said:

It’s quite interesting to see how Atlanta has so many European boutiques in and around Buckhead and Midtown but the majority of the shoppers are people who just want to show off the signature logos.  Flips flops with logos.....hats with the logos.....belts with the logos etc.   that’s not fashion.  But it is what it is.  SMH

That’s a bit of an exaggeration.  Atlanta has that many European boutiques because it’s the premier shopping destination outside of Miami for the Southeast.  There’s varied styles of dressing in and around Atlanta. There are a lot of influential black Americans in and around Atlanta that  buy designer that don’t dress in all the logos. To suggest that majority of the shoppers where everything because of the logos is A lie. 
 

Dior And Saint Laurent didn’t open stores in that market because of flip flops, rappers and black folks wearing urban clothes with all the logos on it.  
 

You guys need to focus on your street style (which is non existent) Charlotte doesn’t have any influence in the fashion world. Not even  the southeast region.  Y’all can’t even get simple stores like Zara.  You know your luxury market is terrible when your Neimans is the smallest store in the chain and hardly carries anything that full line stores carry like Atlanta.  
 

Don’t try to play Atlanta because Charlotte can’t attract luxury boutiques.  Focus on Charlotte and Southpark Mall. Atlanta is good the city isn’t begging to attract retailers.  Anyone from Charlotte shouldn’t be commenting on anything fashion related or trying to give opinions about a city with a great retail scene when said city is a tiny bleep on the retail/fashion scene.  You don’t hold a candle to the retail and fashion scene in atlanta so cut it out.   
 

If wearing logos isn’t fashion then tell that to folks in NYC who do the same thing or tell that to the Asian community who love a good logo.  

Edited January 5, 2020 by Nyckofi

[KJHburg]

Correction the Austin Neiman Marcus is the same size as of Charlotte.  Also Atlanta metro is close to 6 million people so they can and will attract better stores.  

[SydneyCarton]

I'd still really love to see this mall redeveloped into a 21st century mixed use property.    Since NC has a mild climate, an outdoor-oriented shopping district is preferable.  In the South Pointe Mall in Durham, the newer outdoor area is really vibrant, whereas the indoor portion isn't.  I much prefer Phillips Place to SouthPark.

Edited January 5, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[CLT2014]

43 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'd still really love to see this mall redeveloped into a 21st century mixed use property.    Since NC has a mild climate, an outdoor-oriented shopping district is preferable.  In the South Pointe Mall in Durham, the newer outdoor area is really vibrant, whereas the indoor portion isn't.  I much prefer Phillips Place to SouthPark.

Given the mall is near 100% capacity, they'd likely expand with an outdoor area rather than convert the existing indoor area to an outdoor space. The whole "don't fix what isn't broken" thought process. 

[TylerFerreroSorel]

4 hours ago, Nyckofi said:

That’s a bit of an exaggeration.  Atlanta has that many European boutiques because it’s the premier shopping destination outside of Miami for the Southeast.  There’s varied styles of dressing in and around Atlanta. There are a lot of influential black Americans in and around Atlanta that  buy designer that don’t dress in all the logos. To suggest that majority of the shoppers where everything because of the logos is A lie. 
 

Dior And Saint Laurent didn’t open stores in that market because of flip flops, rappers and black folks wearing urban clothes with all the logos on it.  
 

You guys need to focus on your street style (which is non existent) Charlotte doesn’t have any influence in the fashion world. Not even  the southeast region.  Y’all can’t even get simple stores like Zara.  You know your luxury market is terrible when your Neimans is the smallest store in the chain and hardly carries anything that full line stores carry like Atlanta.  
 

Don’t try to play Atlanta because Charlotte can’t attract luxury boutiques.  Focus on Charlotte and Southpark Mall. Atlanta is good the city isn’t begging to attract retailers.  Anyone from Charlotte shouldn’t be commenting on anything fashion related or trying to give opinions about a city with a great retail scene when said city is a tiny bleep on the retail/fashion scene.  You don’t hold a candle to the retail and fashion scene in atlanta so cut it out.   
 

If wearing logos isn’t fashion then tell that to folks in NYC who do the same thing or tell that to the Asian community who love a good logo.  

You're right, it's not just Atlanta - designer fashion is really trending more towards athletic wear across the board. However, I don't feel that you have to put Charlotte down in order to praise Atlanta.  Please be respectful.

[SydneyCarton]

11 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Given the mall is near 100% capacity, they'd likely expand with an outdoor area rather than convert the existing indoor area to an outdoor space. The whole "don't fix what isn't broken" thought process. 

Everyone has a different perspective.  I prefer walking outside.

[rancenc]

The clothing industry has whole is in decline and I believe fewer and fewer retailers will be left.  I also suspect that larger markets such as Atlanta will see a contraction of stores in the local market in the immediate future

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-death-of-clothing/

 

 

[KJHburg]

I know we talk alot in this thread about the future of retail and here is story on the topic.

https://rebusinessonline.com/keeping-malls-out-of-the-morgue/

[tozmervo]

Me reading this thread:

[LKN704]

I would argue that Charlotte likely has the demographics needed to support a broader range of luxury retailers but it just comes down to local fashion preference. I don't know if it has to do with the specific employment sectors based in the city, or if it is because the Charlotte metro area is roughly more conservative as a whole, but the fashion in the city tends to shift towards a relaxed and "preppy" style.  "Street-style" type outfits just aren't on trend in the city. 

Take a look these men's outfits (I am more or less wearing the first one right now):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533958099571362318/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303922674837453096/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341007003035329123/

Those simply aren't the styles or the preferences of people in Charlotte. That isn't a bad thing, it's just consumer preference. Whenever I dress like that in Charlotte, I have had people immediately ask where I was from because they simply assumed I wasn't from here based on my outfit. Yet in DC, practically all of my friends dress like that. I always thought it was funny for example that CLT doesn't have a Uniqlo, but then again, they sell minimalist Asian-inspired street-style clothing and it likely wouldn't catch out. 

Take H&M, I have noticed that the stores in DC sell very differently men's clothes than the CLT stores. The DC stores have more formal attire. I have never seen cropped, loose fitting smart pants in a CLT H&M, but I have in a DC one. 

[Temeteron]

24 minutes ago, LKN704 said:

I would argue that Charlotte likely has the demographics needed to support a broader range of luxury retailers but it just comes down to local fashion preference. I don't know if it has to do with the specific employment sectors based in the city, or if it is because the Charlotte metro area is roughly more conservative as a whole, but the fashion in the city tends to shift towards a relaxed and "preppy" style.  "Street-style" type outfits just aren't on trend in the city. 

Take a look these men's outfits (I am more or less wearing the first one right now):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533958099571362318/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303922674837453096/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341007003035329123/

Those simply aren't the styles or the preferences of people in Charlotte. That isn't a bad thing, it's just consumer preference. Whenever I dress like that in Charlotte, I have had people immediately ask where I was from because they simply assumed I wasn't from here based on my outfit. Yet in DC, practically all of my friends dress like that. I always thought it was funny for example that CLT doesn't have a Uniqlo, but then again, they sell minimalist Asian-inspired street-style clothing and it likely wouldn't catch out. 

Take H&M, I have noticed that the stores in DC sell very differently men's clothes than the CLT stores. The DC stores have more formal attire. I have never seen cropped, loose fitting smart pants in a CLT H&M, but I have in a DC one. 

It has to do with the culture, people and the industries as well.  But not necessarily.  My experience visiting the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Vancouver and Portland) I can say that the people there don’t dress up as much or not as well as they do here.  My friends would agree as well.  People here dress ok.  But they don’t tend to be loud with fashion in Charlotte .  And when they are,  it’s a ridiculous loud.  It is a subjective statement but in my opinion you could be in the smallest European city and people still have a better sense of style.  .  In the states you have to be in a 5+ million metro in order to find good selection of clothing to shop.  It’s improving but still   

Edited January 6, 2020 by Temeteron

[TheOneRJ]

People in Charlotte 

14 hours ago, LKN704 said:

I would argue that Charlotte likely has the demographics needed to support a broader range of luxury retailers but it just comes down to local fashion preference. I don't know if it has to do with the specific employment sectors based in the city, or if it is because the Charlotte metro area is roughly more conservative as a whole, but the fashion in the city tends to shift towards a relaxed and "preppy" style.  "Street-style" type outfits just aren't on trend in the city. 

Take a look these men's outfits (I am more or less wearing the first one right now):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533958099571362318/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303922674837453096/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/341007003035329123/

Those simply aren't the styles or the preferences of people in Charlotte. That isn't a bad thing, it's just consumer preference. Whenever I dress like that in Charlotte, I have had people immediately ask where I was from because they simply assumed I wasn't from here based on my outfit. Yet in DC, practically all of my friends dress like that. I always thought it was funny for example that CLT doesn't have a Uniqlo, but then again, they sell minimalist Asian-inspired street-style clothing and it likely wouldn't catch out. 

Take H&M, I have noticed that the stores in DC sell very differently men's clothes than the CLT stores. The DC stores have more formal attire. I have never seen cropped, loose fitting smart pants in a CLT H&M, but I have in a DC one. 

There are plenty of people in Charlotte who dress like those examples you provided. There’s even a well-known Charlotte YouTuber who specifically has content dedicated to high end/trendy fashion. Charlotte is severely under looked in terms of luxury shopping. While there’s more luxury shopping here than anywhere in the Carolinas, cities smaller than us (such as Austin), completely blow us away in terms of luxury retail. 

[charlotteparadox]

Took the photo of The Colony demolition on my roof today, and the photo of the cows seems to be closer towards Barclay Downs Drive — so here’s a near half century comparison of SouthPark, fellow Charlotteans!

[videtur quam contuor]

Dairy farms, and to some degree beef producers, were a strong part of our agricultural heritage here. Billy Graham sprang from a dairy farming family where Park Road Center is. Hunter Jersey Farms, one of the last, if not the last major dairy suppliers in Mecklenburg County, was on the far west side and SouthPark (no space) was first a farm for Cameron Morrison as seen here. For centuries, and in many places, the agriculture of a landscape not truly well suited to grain and foodstuffs was used for stock; cattle, sheep and so forth. Our thin soil with clay underlayment made tilling more difficult while the many streams and creeks allowed watering in the fields for the stock. Hay and silage was grown for animal feed and the animal and its products was the basis of the economy of these farms.

[Crown]

Macy's has two Charlotte stores at SouthPark and Northlake -do we think they will both make the cut? 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/04/macys-to-close-125-stores-sees-480-million-in-restructuring-costs-to-2000-corporate-jobs.html

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, Crown said:

Macy's has two Charlotte stores at SouthPark and Northlake -do we think they will both make the cut? 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/04/macys-to-close-125-stores-sees-480-million-in-restructuring-costs-to-2000-corporate-jobs.html

I would say Southpark is safe as for Northlake not sure but they are closing their Cincinnati HQ and moving it back to NYC.  This came out about when Federated Dept stores bought Macys. 

[TheOneRJ]

23 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I would say Southpark is safe as for Northlake not sure but they are closing their Cincinnati HQ and moving it back to NYC.  This came out about when Federated Dept stores bought Macys. 

I wouldn’t say SouthPark is safe either, there were already rumors that location would be converted into a Bloomingdale’s.